Mapping Your

Future

Discovering God’s Unique Purpose for Your Life

2

Mapping Your Future: Discovering God’s Unique Purpose for Your Life (2011) by Christy Bower

Cover photo purchased to support artists. © iStockPhoto.com / Steve Simzer

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996.

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

CONTACT INFO

Christy Bower, PO Box 983, Whitefish MT 59937

Twitter: @christybower

Facebook: Christy Bower

Email: bowerchristy@yahoo.com

Blog: www.theChristianMinimalist.com

Website: www.christybower.com

3

Welcome!

My name is Christy and I’m pleased to meet you!

Are you ready to begin a faith journey to discover God’s unique purpose

for your life? Once you know, beyond a doubt, God’s purpose for your

life, you will begin taking bold steps of faith because you are confident

you are headed in the right direction.

Getting the Most Out of This Workbook In order to gain the most from this workbook, you will want to refer to

the additional materials referred to in the content. The electronic

version includes live links to websites and resources. For your

convenience, however, I have included a resources page on my blog at

www.theChristianMinimalist.com.

Uncopyright of This Workbook I choose to release the copyright for this material so it can be

reproduced and distributed in electronic or print form. You may make

copies to use in your church, small group, or for individual study.

I choose to release the

copyright for this

material so it can be

reproduced and

distributed in

electronic or print

form.

4

About Christy

In the late 1990s, I was climbing the corporate

ladder in Seattle, working seventy hours a week and

commuting an hour-and-a-half each way. I only

went home long enough to sleep and shower. As

time went on, I found myself becoming irritable,

frustrated, and even angry. I didn’t like who I was

becoming, so I quit the corporate world and took a

job working 40 hours a week.

With an extra 30-40 hours of spare time, I became

involved in church. At a church retreat with the

career group, I learned to storyboard my life and

look at how God has used all of the events of my life

to make me who he wants me to be.

The church also had a “Niche Class” to help people

find their niche in ministry—the place where they

were uniquely qualified to serve because of their

personality, skill, passion, and spiritual gifts. As I

went through the course, I began to feel God calling

me to ministry, so I headed off for seminary.

The seminary

program required

us to take a series

of assessments to

determine which

areas of ministry

would be a good

fit.

The results showed that I was highly creative and

analytical; that I loved research; that I enjoyed

teaching; and that I needed lots of alone time to

recharge my batteries. Wow! That sounds like a

writer! And writing was the very thing I already had

a passion for doing.

In the years that followed, I was able to make

decisions in full confidence that I was pursuing

God’s will for my life. I moved to Montana for a

slower pace of life, took a seasonal job at a retail

shop, and spent the rest of the year writing.

5

Recently, when the retail shop closed and my writing career felt

stagnant, I began to re-evaluate my career. I went back to review all of

these exercises, for it had been more than a decade since I had done

them. I renewed my commitment as a writer and made plans to launch

The Christian Minimalist as my new ministry tool.

In the meantime, I made a critical error. Because I was afraid to become

a full-time writer, I accepted a job transfer into another seasonal

position that I knew was not a good job fit. Even with knowing the

strengths and weaknesses of my personality, training, and experience, I

ignored my gut-feeling that this wasn’t right. Sure enough, I was

miserable and became irritable, frustrated, and angry. I quit six weeks

later, in December 2010, and stepped out in faith to become a full-time

writer.

I share this to demonstrate how important it is to know the signposts or

indicators God has placed in your life. These signposts point you in the

direction God has planned for you. You ignore his signposts at your own

peril, as I well know. That’s why it can be beneficial to review these

exercises every few years. I hope this workbook becomes a valuable

resource and tool for planning as you discover who God made you to be

and what he wants to accomplish through you for his glory.

God made you uniquely qualified to fulfill the purpose he has for you.

“Then I realized how

bitter I had become…I

was so foolish and

ignorant…Yet I still

belong to you; you are

holding my right hand.

You will keep on

guiding me with your

counsel, leading me to

a glorious destiny.”

--Psalm 73:21-24, NLT

6

Table of Contents

Welcome! ................................................................. 3

Getting the Most Out of This Workbook .............. 3

Uncopyright of This Workbook ............................. 3

About Christy ........................................................... 4

Table of Contents ..................................................... 6

Overview .................................................................. 7

Introduction ............................................................. 8

The 360o Problem: “I’m Willing to Go, Lord, But

Which Way?”......................................................... 9

Compass: Your Biblical Purpose Statement ........... 10

Writing a Biblical Purpose Statement ................. 10

Map: The Storyboard of Your Life .......................... 17

Picture Your Life on a Timeline ........................... 18

Storyboard Your Life ........................................... 19

Legend to the Map: Your Life Values ..................... 24

Step 1: Consider What Is Important in Your Life . 25

Step 2: Use Your Storyboard to Identify Values .. 27

Step 3: List Your Value Statements or Guiding

Principles ............................................................. 28

God’s Signposts: Your Direction Indicators ............ 29

Traits ................................................................... 30

Talents ................................................................. 35

Training ............................................................... 43

Target .................................................................. 47

GPS: Your Personal Vision Statement .................... 51

Assess Your Findings ........................................... 51

Brainstorm about What God Might Be Leading You

to Do .................................................................... 54

Commit to Your Vision Statement ...................... 55

Turn Your Vision Statement into a Tagline

(Optional) ............................................................ 61

Congratulations!..................................................... 63

7

Overview

To map your future, you will need a compass, a map, the legend to the

map, God’s signposts, and a GPS.

Compass. If you’re looking for direction, start by orienting yourself to a

fixed position. We will orient our lives to the timeless truth of God’s

Word by writing our own biblical purpose statement.

Map. In order to map our future, we need to map our past. We will

begin by storyboarding our life to examine how God has worked

through our lives up to this point.

Legend. The legend in a corner of the map provides critical information

to understanding the map. Our values are the legend to the map of our

lives. Identifying our core values will help guide us into the future.

God’s Signposts. We tend to overlook natural signs God has built into

our lives to guide us: Traits (temperament, personality, and physical

traits); Talents (natural talents and spiritual gifts); Training (education

and experience); and Target (passion, dream, burden, desire, or calling).

GPS. A vision statement, like a GPS, provides direction. By developing

your personal vision statement, you will create a concise, concrete

action plan that will encourage, motivate, and guide you.

“Get all the advice and

instruction you can,

and be wise the rest of

your life. You can

make many plans, but

the Lord’s purpose will

prevail.”

--Proverbs 19:20-21,

NLT

8

Introduction

“All I do is get up, go to work, come home, watch

TV, and go to bed, only to get up and do it all over

again.”

Instead of being stuck in a rut, you could be blazing

a path where no ruts exist—a path that God has for

you and only you. God has given you a purpose in

life. You are uniquely qualified for this purpose and

you are the only one who can fulfill it. Wouldn’t it

be exciting if you knew your purpose and began to

pursue it?

We drift along, without direction and purpose,

when we are too busy to make an honest self-

assessment and seek God’s will for our lives. You’re

not going to find “Five Steps to Discovering God’s

Will” in these pages but you are going to find some

thought-provoking exercises that combine Bible

study, self-assessment, and guided affirmation of

God’s work in your life.

God has already built into our lives whatever is

necessary to accomplish his purposes, so our task is

to recognize what God is already doing and adjust to

it. To do this, we need to look back at what he has

done already and then look forward to see the

direction he has already mapped out for us. But we

are easily distracted by the day-to-day stuff and we

tend to overlook the obvious signposts that God has

given us for our direction. As we identify God’s

signposts, we can move forward based on the

direction we see. Once we have a direction mapped

out, our decisions will come easy.

I pray that as you work through these exercises, you

will gain a clearer perspective and renewed

enthusiasm for what God wants to do through your

life. You may even develop a specific action plan

based on what you learn here.

9

The 360o Problem: “I’m Willing to Go, Lord, But

Which Way?” Discerning God’s will for our lives is not an exact science. Sometimes we

find ourselves spinning in a circle contemplating the full range of 360o of

opportunities. Which way should we go? At times like that it’s easy to

feel paralyzed by the possibilities. Perhaps you feel that way right now.

Before you begin Mapping Your Future, consider these steps toward

pursuing God’s will:

1. Submission. Spend time asking for God’s wisdom. Submit your will

to God. Pray until you are willing to do whatever he wants with

your life.

2. Self-awareness. Wisdom is knowledge in action. So the first step

toward wisdom is to know what God has already built into your

life that will guide you. The exercises in this workbook are

designed to increase your self-awareness of what God is already

doing in your life.

3. Step of Faith. Knowledge becomes wisdom when we actually DO

IT. But if you were ready to step out in faith, you probably

wouldn’t be reading this book. By the end of this book, however,

you should be ready to take a step of faith and know which

direction to go.

“Show me the path

where I should walk, O

Lord; point out the

right road for me to

follow. Lead me by

your truth and teach

me, for you are the

God who saves me. All

day long I put my hope

in you.”

--Psalm 25:4-5, NLT

10

Compass: Your Biblical Purpose Statement

I probably don’t need to take you out in the woods

blindfolded and spin you around ten times to show

you how it feels to be lost. It’s frightening. It’s even

worse to be wandering through life only to realize

that you don’t know where you are, how you got

here, or which way to go.

A compass helps. A compass reorients you to a fixed

location so you can figure out a general direction to

head. Taking time to write your own biblical

purpose statement will help orient you to a fixed

position—the timeless truth of God’s Word—and

give you a general direction to head.

Writing a Biblical Purpose Statement The Bible is the best place to start when seeking to

discover our purpose in life. God wants us to

understand why we have been created so he reveals

his purposes in the pages of the Bible.

Step 1: Understand God’s Purposes for All

Believers Throughout the Bible, God reveals his purposes for

all believers. Review the verses on the following

chart and record your insights about why you have

been created. These insights may apply to all

believers, but they form a biblical foundation for the

purpose statement you will develop.

11

Scripture Insight

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39, NLT).

“Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you…” (Matthew 28:19-20, NLT).

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34, NLT).

“But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own” (2 Corinthians 4:7, NLT).

“God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:8-10, NLT).

“For I live in eager expectation and hope that . . . my life will always honor Christ, whether I live or I die” (Philippians 1:20, NLT).

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. . . .” (Philippians 3:8, NLT).

“The Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, NLT).

12

Step 2: Understand God’s Purposes for Me During the course of your lifetime, God has undoubtedly used some Bible verses to give you focus, purpose,

and direction. List the meaningful verses in your life and the insights you gained from each verse. These

insights reveal a more specific purpose that is unique to your life.

Scripture Insight

13

Step 3: Summarize My Purpose Review your insights from the Bible and write down several short

statements about God’s purpose for your life.

“But my life is worth

nothing unless I use it

for doing the work

assigned me by the

Lord Jesus . . .”

--Acts 20:24, NLT

14

Step 4: Write a Biblical Purpose Statement A biblical purpose statement should be a concise

expression of why a person exists, based on the

message of scripture.

There are no right and wrong answers here. Your

purpose statement will reflect a biblical

understanding of your unique purpose, so while it

may seem broad and universal (for all believers),

your statement will reflect your perspective on your

life purpose.

Notice in these examples how they each ring true of

biblical truth, and yet they are distinctly different.

Example 1: My purpose is to bring glory to God

through consistent worship of him, to cultivate an

inner life that reflects the grace of God, and to equip

men and women for ministry.

Example 2: God created me to enter a love

relationship with him that shows others his deep

commitment to me through his power to change my

life.

Example 3: I exist to know Christ intimately and

become like him, developing his character in my life

and to love other people and make disciples by

pointing them toward Christ.

15

Based on your study of God’s Word, write your biblical purpose

statement. If you need help getting started, try one of these phrases:

My purpose is . . .

God created me to . . .

I exist to . . .

Make several drafts and write what comes to mind and then edit them

into one sentence that best captures what seems important to you.

Write your final draft on the next page.

“Your word is a lamp

for my feet and a light

for my path.”

--Psalm 119:105, NLT

16

My Biblical Purpose Statement

17

Map: The Storyboard of Your Life

If you’ve ever found yourself in an unfamiliar city without a map, you

know how quickly you can become lost and frustrated. Five-lane

highways, confusing interchanges, merging traffic, and one-way streets

that keep you going in circles around town can leave you wondering,

Where am I and how did I get here?

The best time to check your map is before you reach your destination.

So, in order to map our future, we need to map our past. When we

recognize how God has worked in our lives up to this point, God’s

purpose in our life will become clearer. In this chapter we will look at

the big picture of our lives by creating a storyboard.

The classic storyboard is a comic book but even professional

scriptwriters use a storyboard to plan the sequence of events.

Storyboards are an excellent tool for identifying the big picture and

seeing the continuity of events.

By creating a storyboard for your life, you will develop a mental map as

you retrace your steps through life. Landmark events and familiar places

along the way will give you a sense of perspective and direction. God

has directed the events of your life to lead you to this point and prepare

you for where you are going.

“Your word is a lamp

to my feet and a light

for my path” (Psalm

119:105, NIV).

“I recall all you have

done, O Lord; I

remember your

wonderful deeds of

long ago. They are

constantly in my

thoughts. I cannot

stop thinking about

them.”

--Psalm 77:11-12, NLT

18

Picture Your Life on a Timeline As a warm-up to get you thinking about your life, create a simple timeline. Draw symbols on the timeline to

depict significant events in your life—both positive and negative. Be creative and represent as many events as

you can. (Don’t worry. You don’t have to be a cartoonist to storyboard your life. I’m just trying to include

something for everyone here.)

Birth Today

19

Storyboard Your LifeThe purpose of this exercise is to see the events of our life from God’s

perspective. We will be writing the events of our life on sticky notes and

arranging them on the poster board. Then we will identify what

qualities God was building into our lives during each phase of our

development. When complete, you will have a remarkable perspective

on the unity of your life. Your life does not consist of a series of random

events; your life is under continuous development by the hand of God

to make you who he wants you to be.

This exercise is probably the most important one in this workbook, so

please do not skip it. I was skeptical when I first did it, but I was amazed

at the depth of insight I gained from completing the process. Try to

follow the steps, even if you don’t have the poster board or sticky notes

(you could use scraps of paper on a table, for instance). The poster

board and sticky notes allow you to set it aside and work on it again

later—weeks, months, or even years later.

Before you begin, take a moment to pray for God’s guidance, insight,

and assurance as you explore your past. For many of us, our past

includes difficult and painful experiences that we may not want to think

about. Pray that God will give you courage, comfort, and insight into the

events of your life.

“Set up road signs; put

up guideposts. Mark

well the path by which

you came…”

--Jeremiah 31:21, NLT

20

Step 1: Brainstorm to Capture Your Life

on Sticky Notes Begin brainstorming by thinking of events in your

life that have impacted who you are today. Think of

people who influenced and shaped your life (for

better or for worse); significant incidents in your

life; or statements made about you (even before

your birth).

As thoughts of people and events come to you,

write each one on a separate sticky note and place it

randomly on the poster board. You may want to use

different colors to represent people, places, or

events. Or you may choose to use different colors

for positive and negative events. So be creative, but

don’t make it too difficult.

Continue to write notes rapidly. As you reminisce

about your life, other thoughts will come to you.

Write down anything you think is significant or

meaningful. When you run out of ideas, you have

probably done enough, but for people who want a

guideline, you should have used at least as many

sticky notes as your age (and possibly twice as

many). Also make sure that you have some notes

representing every age or phase of your life.

21

Step 2: Organize Your Sticky Notes Chronologically Group your notes into different phases of your life and create

meaningful titles for each phase. You might want to refer to the timeline

you created earlier. The most significant events in your life often mark a

boundary in which a new phase begins. Write these boundary events

and phases on sticky notes.

Here’s an example based on my storyboard.

Boundary Events

1968 Birth

1993 Begin Career

1998 Career Change

2000 Neurological Disease

2004 Moved to Montana

Present

Phases Education Years Corporate Years Foundations for Faith

Seminary Writing

“You saw me before I

was born. Every day of

my life was recorded

in your book. Every

moment was laid out

before a single day

had passed.”

--Psalm 139:16, NLT

22

Step 3: List Lessons Learned in Each

Phase of Your Life Below each column, use sticky notes to list the

lessons you learned from the people and events of

that period of your life. Some life lessons may be

negative. That’s okay. Those are still lessons that

made you who you are today.

Step 4: Write Summary Statements Review the life lessons and come up with a

summary statement about what God was doing in

each phase of your life. What did God teach you? In

what ways did you grow or change? You will

probably notice one broad theme for each phase.

Moreover, you will begin to see how God was

developing you into the person you have become.

Boundary Events

1968 Birth

1993 Begin Career

1998 Career Change

2000 Neurological Disease

2004 Moved to Montana

Present

Phases Education Years Corporate Years Foundations for Faith Seminary Writing

Life Lessons

What God Was Doing in Me

Developing Tough Skin

Developing Character

Developing a Tender Heart

Developing Spiritual Maturity

Developing Faith and Simplicity

23

Step 5: Write Your Life Story (Optional) For some people, it may be beneficial to write out a summary of the

things you have placed on your storyboard. Single words scattered on a

storyboard don’t tell the whole story, do they? Sometimes writing out

our life experiences helps us to understand how we feel about people

and events. Challenge yourself to be open and honest. Be sure to

include any insights into how God has been at work in your life. Make it

a testimony, if you will, of how the sovereign Lord has orchestrated the

events of your life. Keep it between 500-1500 words (about 1-3 pages

typed). If this exercise generates any new insights, go back and revise

your storyboard.

Congratulations! You have completed your storyboard. It is important to

map out your past before you can map your future. After all, knowing

where you have been helps you know where you are now. There is one

more step that will bridge the gap between the past and the future. It is

a legend or key to the map of your life: your values. Your values were

formed during the course of your life, so you will refer to your

storyboard again in the next chapter as you identify your life values.

This is fun. “But then something

happened! For it

pleased God in his

kindness to choose me

and call me, even

before I was born!

What undeserved

mercy!”

--Galatians 1:15, NLT

24

Legend to the Map: Your Life Values

Sometimes the map doesn’t make sense. Which

direction should I be holding the map to correlate

with reality? Am I looking at a dirt road or the

county line? How far is it from point A to point B?

Every map has a legend in one corner. It is usually a

small box in a lower corner that provides critical

information to understanding the map. It explains

the symbols, the direction, scale, and other

important facts that help you interpret the map

before you. And each map has a different legend, so

the legend on the map for Seattle won’t help with a

map of Denver.

Likewise, the legend to your life is different from

everyone else’s because each person possesses a

unique perspective on life. That unique perspective

comes from the core values that you formed during

your life history.

I’m not suggesting that our personal experience is

more important than biblical truth—that’s why we

wrote a biblical purpose statement first—but our

life experiences form our way of interpreting our

future.

Let me give you an example. A person who had an

unstable, broken family in which abuse was

involved will develop different core values than a

child that came from a loving, stable family. Both

may become loving Christian parents, but the one

from the broken family may value things that the

other person takes for granted.

So after studying the map of your life, it’s time to

look at how to interpret that map based on the life

values you have formed. Listing those core values

will provide a sense of direction and purpose.

25

Step 1: Consider What Is Important in Your Life During the course of your life, you have developed some core values.

Those values provide direction and guidance, even if you don’t

consciously think about them.

Values describe your beliefs and core convictions. They are the guiding

principles by which you live your life. Everyone lives according to some

values, even if they cannot state what their values are. Few of us are

accustomed to stating our values, so let me give you some ideas.

Example 1:

People First: Relationships are essential to influencing people for God. Being before Doing: It is more important to “be” than to “do.”

Example 2:

Enjoy simple pleasures. Treasure happy moments. Freely give. Work diligently. Contribute to meaningful relationships.

The above examples demonstrate different approaches to stating one’s

values, but notice that they are simple, concise statements about what

is important to you or how you intend to live your life.

Values describe your

beliefs and core

convictions. They are

the guiding principles

by which you live your

life.

26

To help you begin thinking about your values, consider these questions:

What are the important lessons that God has taught you about your character?

What character traits do you value most?

What are your priorities?

What are your core convictions about people and relationships?

What insights do you have from your involvement in ministry? Home? Career?

27

Step 2: Use Your Storyboard to Identify Values Now look at your storyboard again and you may begin to see how your

core convictions formed. As ideas come to you, you may wish to write

your values on sticky notes at the bottom of your storyboard.

Boundary Events

1968 Birth

1993 Begin Career

1998 Career Change

2000 Neurological

Disease

2004 Moved to Montana

Present

Phases Education Years Corporate Years Foundations for Faith

Seminary Writing

Life Lessons

What God Was Doing in Me

Developing Tough Skin

Developing Character

Developing a Tender Heart

Developing Spiritual Maturity

Developing Faith and Simplicity

Value Statements

“Cry out for insight

and understanding . . .

Then you will

understand what is

right, just, and fair,

and you will know how

to find the right course

of action every time.”

--Proverbs 2:3, 9, NLT

28

Step 3: List Your Value Statements or

Guiding Principles Finally, based on your storyboard and your thoughts

on values, identify a list of six to ten core values that

best describe your most important beliefs and

convictions about life. Knowing your core values—

the things that are most important to you—will help

you understand what direction you should head as

you map your future.

Remember to use simple, concise statements about

what is important to you in how you live your life.

1.

2.

3.

4. 5.

6. 7. 8.

9. 10. Almost everything we do has its root in our values.

For more information on values, consider the Values

Style Profile, a 12-page workbook that helps identify

your values-driven motivations. (See the Resources

page at www.theChristianMinimalist.com.)

29

God’s Signposts: Your Direction Indicators

Stop. Yield. One Way. Do Not Enter. Traffic signs provide important

information to help you get where you need to be. We ignore them to

our peril. Likewise, we ignore God’s signposts at our own peril. God

gives us important information to guide us, but many people don’t even

think about these indicators.

We tend to go zooming past God’s signposts in the fast lane rather than

slowing down to read and heed the signs God has built into our life.

These signposts are unique to each one of us:

Traits (Temperament, Personality Traits, and Physical Traits)

Talents (Natural Talents and Spiritual Gifts)

Training (Education and Experience)

Target (Passion)

Think of them as a funnel that gets narrower to point toward your

unique purpose. Many people have your temperament. Of those, some

share your talents, but fewer yet have your training. And no one else

shares your temperament, talents, training, and your passion, too!

Sidebar content. “You chart the path

ahead of me and tell

me where to stop and

rest. Every moment

you know where I am.

You know what I am

going to say even

before I say it, Lord.

You both precede and

follow me. You place

your hand of blessing

on my head.”

--Psalm 139:3-5, NLT

30

Traits God has equipped each one of us with the character

traits necessary to fulfill his purpose for our lives.

These traits indicate probable directions for us to

pursue because God is going to lead us into

ministries that are consistent with how he made us.

Temperament Temperament refers to the innate aspects of an

individual’s personality, such as the preference for

introversion or extroversion. Personality, which we

will discuss in the next section, refers to a broader

spectrum of behaviors that include both innate and

learned qualities.

There are a number of assessment tools available to

help identify your temperament. One of the best-

known and most easily understood tools for

learning about your temperament is the Keirsey

Temperament Sorter.

Take the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (Free

Online)

Go to www.keirsey.com and click on “Take the KTS-

II.” It takes about five minutes to answer the 70

questions. Then click “Score It” to receive your

instant assessment.

Learn about Your Temperament Style

After scoring the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, you

don’t need to purchase one of their reports, just

click on the small icon for “The Temperament Mini

Report” (free). After you read the mini report, you

will know which of the four temperament types

describes you. Then, to learn more, look at the

menu bar at the top and select “The Four

Temperaments” and then choose whichever

temperament you wish to read about. This is free

information. You may wish to print the information

about your temperament.

31

After reviewing your temperament style, write down descriptive words

and phrases for your style:

“Thank you for making

me so wonderfully

complex! Your

workmanship is

marvelous—and how

well I know it.”

--Psalm 139:14, NLT

32

Personality Personality refers to a broader spectrum of

behaviors than temperament. These behaviors

include both innate and learned qualities. We adapt

to the demands of our environment, so a good

personality assessment will take that into

consideration.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

(MMPI) is most thorough and reliable measure of

personality; however, it must be administered by a

licensed psychiatrist. A shorter version of the MMPI

is called the 16PF because it measures 16

personality factors. The 16PF is somewhat more

accessible because it can be administered by anyone

trained to do so. Visit www.IPAT.com for more

information on the 16PF.

Another, more accessible, tool is the DISC

Personality System. DISC stands for the four major

styles: Dominant, Influencing, Compliant, and

Stable. The DISC assessment will produce three

graphs that measure your public self, your private

self, and your perceived self. Differences between

the three indicate ways that a person has adapted

to his or her environment. This makes the DISC a

more reliable and thorough tool than the Keirsey

Temperament Sorter. The DISC can be purchased

online and a special version of the DISC is available

that relates your personality to a character from the

Bible. For more information, refer to the Resources

page at www.theChristianMinimalist.com.

Although I cannot offer you a free personality

assessment, I can suggest some questions that will

help you think about your personality traits.

For instance, are you introverted or extroverted? If

you always remember names, you’re an extrovert. If

you recognize faces, but forget names, you’re an

introvert. (What a relief! I’m not forgetful; it’s a

personality trait.)

On the next page there are ten more questions to

ponder.

33

Are you more people-oriented or task-oriented?

Are you detail minded or more of a big-picture visionary?

Do you prefer a fairly organized structure or does that make you feel stifled?

Would you rather have responsibilities assigned to you or be part of a team in which individual roles are not clear?

If you were to participate in a sport, would you get involved in a team sport or an individual sport?

Do you tend to be more active or passive? Do you pursue things or just let things happen?

Do you want someone to tell you how to do something or do you prefer to be given a task that you can do in your own way?

Would you rather try something new or do something you are familiar with?

Do you prefer to lead or follow? Do you enjoy or avoid leadership?

Are you motivated to do brief projects or long-term projects?

“There are different

ways God works in our

lives, but it is the same

God who does the

work through all of

us.”

--1 Corinthians 12:6,

NLT

34

Physical Traits On the surface, it may seem as if your physical traits have little or nothing to do with the direction of your life

and ministry. However, God has placed some important indicators in your DNA.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Are you typically a low-energy or high-energy person?

Do you start the day with energy and then tire or do you start sluggish and gain energy later in the day?

Would you consider yourself to be in excellent, average, or poor health?

Are you seasonally affected?

Are you affected by region, climate, or elevation?

Do you have any recurring health issues?

Do you have any physical conditions that limit your activity?

Would you be able to pursue a ministry (overseas) that put you out of reach of quality medical care?

What other physical traits might help, hinder, or limit your ministry involvement?

35

Talents God has given you a unique combination of natural talents and spiritual

gifts to equip you for the purpose he has for you. So, here, at the

signpost of talent, God’s direction for our lives will become clearer.

Some people say that natural talents are given at birth and spiritual gifts

are given at the moment of salvation. To some extent that may be true,

but sometimes it is difficult to distinguish. For example, a spiritual gift of

administration may also be one’s natural inclination because he or she

has always been an organized person. Plus, making such a distinction

does not take into consideration that we aren’t “born” with certain

skills, we acquire them. And it’s never too late to teach an old dog…

Natural Talents God places a high value on the natural talents he has given us. They are

a trust. Regardless of what you might think of Rush Limbaugh, he

correctly referred to “talent on loan from God.” Each of us has natural

talents that God has entrusted to us—on loan from God.

To help you start to identify your natural talents, consider the questions

on the next page.

“If God gives someone

a lot of something, it’s

not accidental, but a

signal from on high

that it should be used

for God’s glory.”

–Marvin Olasky

36

What do others say you’re good at? For what have you received compliments, commendations, or awards?

What do you remember doing really well? What experiences or accomplishments made you feel pleased or proud (in a good sense)?

Have you been taught a specialty? In what?

What hobbies, crafts, or sports have you enjoyed?

What skills have you developed in your work, home, or church?

Can you do something that others find difficult to do? What? Do you recognize any other natural talents in your life?

Looking back on your experiences, what would you enjoy doing again?

What abilities are you interested in developing or improving?

37

After reviewing your answers, what do you think your God-given talents

might be? Write your conclusions in the space below.

“Many students ask,

essentially, What do I

want to be? My

suggestion is that God

has in most cases

already answered that

question by handing

out sets of talents and

capacities. The better

question to ask is,

What has God shown,

by His distribution of

abilities, that He

wants me to be?”

--Marvin Olasky

38

The Parable of the Talents In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus told a parable of a man

who was about to go on a journey, so he called

three of his servants and entrusted his possessions

to them, each according to his own ability. To one,

he gave five talents; to another, he gave two

talents; and to the third, he gave one talent.

When the business man returned, he called his

servants. The first one gave his master ten talents,

for he had used the five talents wisely. The man

said, “Fantastic! I will give you additional

responsibilities. Come celebrate with me.”

The second servant gave his master four talents, for

he had invested the two talents wisely. “Well done!

I will also give you additional responsibilities. Come

celebrate with me.”

The third servant returned one talent to his master,

saying, “I was afraid that I would lose what you gave

me, so I hid it in the ground. I am giving you back

exactly what you gave me.”

The master said, “You are lazy and worthless! At

least you could have put it in the bank to draw

interest. Take away the talent from him and give it

to the one who had ten talents.”

The parable of the talents is sobering. God has

entrusted talents to each one of us. God expects us

to use them, not hide them. If we use them well,

God will entrust more talents to us, expanding our

responsibilities as good stewards of what God has

given us.

If we do not use our talents, well, I’ll let you look

back at what the master said about the one who did

not put his talents to work.

39

Spiritual Gifts The New Testament lists more than twenty spiritual gifts. The Old

Testament also mentions some gifts of the Spirit and some people add

modern day gifts to the lists. On the other hand, some people believe

that certain gifts were only used during the foundation of the church but

after the Bible was completed, God stopped using those gifts. So what

are spiritual gifts and how does God use them?

Spiritual gifts are the ways the Holy Spirit works through the lives of

believers to benefit others. The Bible says:

“There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same

God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given

to each of us as a means of helping the entire church” (1

Corinthians 12:6-7, NLT).

The Bible indicates that we each have at least one spiritual gift, but God

can use any spiritual gift through us at any time he chooses:

“God verified the message by signs and wonders and various

miracles and by giving gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose

to do so” (Hebrews 2:4, NLT).

That being said, you will have certain ways that God frequently uses you

and those are what most people identify as spiritual gifts.

“God has given gifts to

each of you…Manage

them well so that

God’s generosity can

flow through you. Are

you called to be a

speaker? Then speak

as though God himself

were speaking through

you. Are you called to

help others? Do it with

all the strength and

energy that God

supplies…”

--1 Peter 4:10-11, NLT

40

Special Delivery

As we look at your spiritual gifts as an indicator of

God’s purpose for your life, keep in mind that God

doesn’t give you gifts to use for your own purposes.

If we are pursuing our own self-serving purposes

instead of our God-given passion and purpose, then

we won’t accomplish much. Our spiritual gifts and

natural talents won’t be as effective if we use them

to say, “Look at what I did.” Instead, remember that

spiritual gifts are an expression of God working

through you to benefit others. Spiritual gifts are not

so much a gift for you, but a gift of the Holy Spirit to

someone else: you’re just the delivery person.

“God has given gifts to each of you from his great

variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that

God’s generosity can flow through you” (1 Peter

4:10, NLT).

When you think of yourself as a delivery person for

God’s gifts, the focus is not on you (“My gift is…”)

but on God and what he wants to do for others. It

places us in the role of servant, as we should be. It

virtually eliminates any feelings of pride or envy

because each act God wants us to do for others is

important, regardless of what it may be.

Identifying Your Spiritual Gifts

The Bible seems to indicate that you will know your

spiritual gifts. That makes sense, really, because you

know the ways God typically uses you in the lives of

others. So rather than giving you a questionnaire to

determine your spiritual gifts, I want to present the

Bible passages that talk about spiritual gifts and let

you identify your gifts from those listed.

In the space provided next to each scripture text,

write down any phrases that seem like a way God

has used you at least occasionally. Sometimes it

might also be a matter of writing down the ways

you desire to be used, even if you have lacked

opportunity.

41

“God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” (Romans 12:6-8, NLT).

“To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another he gives the gift of special knowledge. The Spirit gives special faith to another, and to someone else he gives the power to heal the sick. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have” (1 Corinthians 12:8-11, NLT).

42

“Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who can get others to work together, those who speak in unknown languages” (1 Corinthians 12:28, NLT).

“He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12, NLT).

In what ways does God frequently use you to

benefit others?

How have you seen those gifts demonstrated

through your life up to this point?

What do you think is your most dominant spiritual

gift and why?

Chances are you have already identified your

spiritual gifts, but if you would like a formal

assessment tool to help determine your spiritual

gifts, I would recommend the Spiritual Gifts

Inventory with DISC Personality Overview. It covers

twenty spiritual gifts and how they are often an

extension of your personality type. See the

Resources page at www.theChristianMinimalist.com

for more information.

43

Training God uniquely tailored a training program for your life to prepare you for

the purpose he has for you. Training includes your education,

experience, skills, expertise, majors, degrees, and other specialized

training. Your combination of experiences differs from any other. God

will use these things in your future, so they are important clues to the

direction God has planned for you. While these might seem like the

mundane aspects of life, remember: God placed these experiences in

your life and God doesn’t make mistakes.

People pursue additional training for two reasons:

1. They have a natural talent or “bent” toward something and want

to learn more.

2. They seek training to fill a gap in knowledge in an area that they

lack talent.

Keep this in mind when evaluating your training and experience. Look

for areas in which you enjoyed the training and experience. This will

point toward your target or passion, which we will discuss in the next

section.

“The Lord says, ‘I will

guide you along the

best pathway for your

life. I will advise you

and watch over you.

Do not be like a

senseless horse or

mule that needs a bit

and bridle to keep it

under control.’”

--Psalm 32:8-9, NLT

44

Education For each of the time frames listed, summarize any activities, interests, or jobs that you enjoyed doing, you did

well in, or you accomplished something.

Grade School Years

Middle School Years

High School Years

College Years

Years Since College

45

Experience List all of your previous employment and what you enjoyed most and least about each area.

Employment What I Enjoyed MOST What I Enjoyed LEAST

46

Employment What I Enjoyed MOST What I Enjoyed LEAST

Which types of training or experience did you enjoy the most? What did these things have in common? This

starts to indicate your passion, which we will discuss in the next section.

47

Target Your target might be described as your passion; your heart’s desire; your

burden; your calling; your dream; or your personal vision. Regardless of

the choice of words, your target is your desire to make a difference in a

specific way.

If you don’t know what your passion is, you are like a ship adrift at sea,

blown by the changing winds of the passions of others. People will urge

you—by their enthusiasm or by pressure—to follow their dreams.

Wouldn’t you rather pursue your own dreams?

It’s time to define your own God-given passion in life. In marketing, the

marketer defines a target audience for a product or service. God

designed a target for your service.

You may have a spiritual gift of teaching, but your passion will

determine the target for your teaching. Do you have a passion for

children? Or youth? Or adults? Or seniors? Or maybe you have a passion

for one-on-one discipleship. Or maybe you use your gift of teaching

through writing or other creative arts. Your passion may be an activity,

group, cause, or person.

Defining your passion is important to understanding God’s direction for

your life.

Your target might be

described as your

passion; your heart’s

desire; your burden;

your calling; your

dream; or your

personal vision.

Regardless of the

choice of words, your

target is your desire to

make a difference in a

specific way.

48

Identify Your Passion I began this workbook by helping you write a biblical purpose statement. Your passion, once clearly defined,

will support and fulfill your biblical purpose in some way. To help you define your passion, consider these

questions.

What do you do with your largest block of time? What do you find most satisfying in that activity? What do you find least satisfying in that activity?

What do you enjoy doing that other people may find boring or irritating?

What do your family and friends say you enjoy most?

For what are you motivated to get up early or stay up late?

What activity will cause you to lose track of time? Or even forget to eat?

What topic, if you told me about it, would cause you to talk faster and become animated? What topic energizes you?

49

You’ve identified a number of things related to your passion. Now let’s

get to the heart of the matter.

In what area would you like to make a difference?

What would you do if you had the time, freedom, money, etc.?

Complete the following statement: I have a passion for/to…

“Trust in the Lord and

do good. Then you will

live safely in the land

and prosper. Take

delight in the Lord,

and he will give you

your heart’s desires.

Commit everything

you do to the Lord.

Trust in him, and he

will help you.”

--Psalm 37:3-5, NLT

50

Deterrents to Fulfilling Your Passion

Discouragement

Perhaps, at some point, you shared your passion,

expecting support from important people in your

life only to find that they were less than

encouraging. People who do not share your passion

will often pick it apart with reasons like “it won’t

work.” Others may say “that’s impossible” or that

“you’re not being realistic.” When combined with

our own self-doubts, this lack of validation can be

paralyzing.

If you know you have a passion for something,

suppressing it can be painful and depressing.

Regardless of the lack of support from others, if you

have prayed and are certain of God’s purpose for

your life, then you can move forward in faith.

Disappointment

Maybe you tried pursuing your passion once and

things didn’t work out as you had hoped. We

mistakenly assume that if something didn’t work,

we have failed. Rather, we just learned something

that will help us as we move forward.

Disappointment can cause us to give up on pursuing

our passion. Don’t give up; give it to God. And then

try again.

Distraction

Perhaps you know what your passion is, but you

have gotten sidetracked for any number of reasons.

Whatever the “excuse,” the reason is simply that

you haven’t made pursuing your passion a number

one priority.

Do whatever you need to do:

Release outside commitments (these typically

reflect the passions of others, not yours).

Set boundaries with family and friends.

Turn off the television and unplug your

Internet.

In the next chapter we will discuss how to hone

your passion into a clear, concise vision statement

that will provide an action plan for you.

51

GPS: Your Personal Vision Statement

Vision is the ability to see the future God desires for you, in clear,

concrete terms that you can put into action. But I’m not going to send

you out into the woods alone for some sort of vision quest. Nor am I

going to induce a trance-like state and hope that you will be taken up

into the heavens for an apocalyptic vision like Ezekiel or John.

When I talk about creating a vision statement, I’m talking about a

concise, concrete action plan that will encourage, motivate, and guide

your steps toward achieving God’s purpose for your life. A vision

statement, like a GPS, provides direction. To write one you will:

Assess Your Findings

Brainstorm about What God Might Be Leading You to Do

Commit to Your Vision Statement

Assess Your Findings By this point you may already sense your purpose and what you should

do, but let’s review your personal map and develop an action plan. Go

back through your workbook and gather your findings into the next few

pages for easy reference.

A vision statement is a

concise, concrete

action plan that will

encourage, motivate,

and guide your steps

toward achieving

God’s purpose for your

life.

52

Summary Worksheets

Compass: Your Biblical Purpose Statement When you need guidance, a compass will point you in the right direction. Write down your biblical purpose statement.

Map: The Storyboard of Your Life A map will help orient you when you need to know, where am I and how did I get here? Review the storyboard of your life. In light of what you know now, what things did God use to make you who you are and to prepare you for the future he has planned for you?

Legend: Your Life Values When you need to make sense of the map, consult the legend or key to the map. List your core values or guiding principles.

53

God’s Signposts: Traits, Talents, Training, and Target When you need help plotting a course toward the future God has planned for you, God’s signposts will point you in the right direction. TRAITS: Describe your temperament, personality, and physical traits that seem relevant in mapping your future.

TALENTS: List your natural talents and spiritual gifts.

TRAINING: What education and life experiences has God put in your life that has prepared you for what God wants to do through you?

TARGET: Describe in one sentence your passion, dream, or desire.

54

Brainstorm about What God Might Be Leading You to Do Pray about what God might be leading you to do. Then tackle some of these questions to spur your thoughts.

What is God already doing in and through me . . . In my home? In my church? In the marketplace?

People who know me well believe that God uses me most when I am involved in . . . (Why?)

When I think about ministry in the future, I would love to concentrate on . . . (Why?)

If you knew that you could not fail, what would you do, in your lifetime, for the glory of God?

What do you feel God is calling you to accomplish in the next five years for his glory?

55

Commit to Your Vision Statement God has used a variety of influences to create a passion in you to

accomplish his purpose through your life. Your personal vision

statement answers the question: What do you feel God is calling you to

accomplish in the next five years for his glory? A vision statement will

need to be reviewed and adjusted every few years as God nudges you

toward new ministry challenges. But now, at this point in your life, what

do you think God wants you to do?

Use the space below to begin crafting your vision statement. We will

work on refining it in the next few pages.

“We have to see that

we keep the windows

of our soul open to

God’s creative purpose

for us, and not confuse

that purpose with our

own intentions…We

must beware lest we

forget God’s purpose

for our life.”

--Oswald Chambers

56

Vision Statement Worksheet

Is your vision statement God-sized? Is it bigger than you can accomplish on your own without God’s help? Write down ways you can expand your vision to make it God-sized.

How will you know when it is accomplished? Make it specific and measurable. Set benchmarks to achieve along the way.

In what ways does your vision statement reflect your life experiences, education, temperament, personality, talents, spiritual gifts, and your passion?

57

Commit to Your Vision Statement Many of you will not finish this step because writing a vision statement

means you have to do something about it.

Spend time refining your vision statement into one sentence that

reflects your passion for what God wants to do through you in the next

five years. Use the space below to write several drafts and then write

your final draft on the next page—COMMIT TO IT!

“Never be lazy in your

work, but serve the

Lord enthusiastically.

Be glad for all God is

planning for you. . . .

and always be

prayerful.”

--Romans 12:11-12,

NLT

58

My Vision Statement

59

Commit Your Time to Your Vision Next, you will want to re-evaluate your priorities in light of your vision

statement. Identify the use of your time by filling in the chart (next

page) about how you spend 168 hours every week. Don’t put down ideal

answers; be honest about how you typically spend your time.

Is your current use of time going to move you toward where you want

to be in one year? Five years?

What would you like to change to help you move toward fulfilling your

personal vision statement in the next five years?

List three areas in which you can free up more time to spend pursuing

your vision.

1.

2.

3.

What specific action steps will you take? (Call someone to quit a

committee, etc.)

“Make the most of

every opportunity for

doing good in these

evil days. Don’t act

thoughtlessly, but try

to understand what

the Lord wants you to

do.”

--Ephesians 5:16-17,

NLT

60

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Midnight

1am

2am

3am

4am

5am

6am

7am

8am

9am

10am

11am

Noon

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

11pm

61

Turn Your Vision Statement into a Tagline

(Optional) Look at your vision statement one more time and see if you can refine it

down to one high-impact phrase. This can be used as a motto or tagline

for your blog or ministry (or just for you!). A tagline should address the

dreams and desires of the audience and how you can fulfill them. Or, on

a personal level, a motto can motivate you to keep pursuing your vision.

Writing a tagline or motto isn’t as easy as it sounds. Keep working on it.

“Seek his will in all you

do, and he will direct

your paths.”

--Proverbs 3:6, NLT

62

My Tagline or Motto

63

Congratulations!

If you worked through the exercises in this workbook, you have mapped

your future. You know God’s unique purpose for your life and you have

a basic plan for heading in that direction. (You’re ahead of most people

already!)

Now, you need to act in faith and obedience to take the next step.

Remember, vision without action is daydreaming. But now that you

know your God-given purpose, you’ll have so much more confidence to

step out in faith because you know you’re on the right path.

God bless you! And please let me know about your faith journey.

Christy Bower, PO Box 983, Whitefish MT 59937

Twitter: @christybower

Facebook: Christy Bower

Email: bowerchristy@yahoo.com

Blog: www.theChristianMinimalist.com

Website: www.christybower.com

“And so we keep on

praying for you, that

our God will make you

worthy of the life to

which he called you.

And we pray that God,

by his power, will fulfill

all your good

intentions and faithful

deeds. Then everyone

will give honor to the

name of our Lord Jesus

because of you…”

--2 Thessalonians

1:11-12, NLT